Yeah i have not worn that vest in years. But it looks nasty for sure but its clean. I couldn’t part with it. I used that vest not only in private practice but at times overseas while serving this great country. Its like a old dog. I keep it as a reminder of where all I have been and done I reckon. It served me well in combat zones. Dodging traffic swamps desert briars etc. sometimes its better to not look like you are in the military when in places. And new shiny vest just look suspiciously.
Oh i don’t mind purchasing my own vest. They did give me a new one when i hired on. I use it. But its flimsy and the velcro and zippers are toast almost already and I hardly use it in the field. I put 5 small mag nails in pocket a few 60d and a pocket tape. Pocket scale. Its just cheap but it is ANSI. I do understand the young chiefs and beginning folks should rate a decent vest by a company for sure. They are already strapped for cash as they start out especially the ones who have started a family. Not a lot of money as a crew chief here compared to the cost of living for sure.
"They are already strapped for cash as they start out especially the ones who have started a family."
Exactly. And it these folks - the least trained, least experienced, lowest paid people in the organization - that are, frequently, the vanguard of our profession. If a survey company owner wishes to:
1. Improve the efficiency of crews working in the field;
2. Enhance the safety for employees working in the field (thus keeping you Workman's Comp premiums as low as possible)
3. Enhance employee retention;
4. upgrade the public face of his/her business, and thereby the profession as a whole;
then a simple, cheap thing to do, IMO, is to spend a little money - comparatively little relative to payroll - on boots, jackets, rainwear, vests, hats, etc. for your crews. It's smart business.
No doubt. One of the companies i worked for early 90’s. The owner showed up to a subdivision that we we’re staking. It had rained for a week. So curb n gutter was in drainage. We were doing as built on all the drainage well getting inverts as it was pouring down. Here come the big boss. Driving in. He gets out. A young buck well i was young back then as well. Gets out the other side of the suburban. Holes all in his jeans. Shirt tore and had a not very professional statement on it kinda crude. One of those cool t shirts we thought were cool in early days our parents would have beat us to death if we got caught wearing it. The boss said to me get in the truck you are going with me today. Yes sir. Pulled out a pocket full of cash handed it to the sr party chief and said take this blankiedy blank to town buy him 5 pairs of jeans and 5 shirts take the signs off the truck magnetic ones first. And if he ever shows up to work looking like that he is fired. I went and did a boundary with the boss . We didn’t have to wear suite and ties but we had polo type shirts and long sleeve with company name and logo hats. We had some t shirts with logos for very hot days and when in the rural areas. He was a stickler for being groomed. No beards allowed which wouldn’t work for me now days but he was in upper 60’s 70’s so not as acceptable for certain groups back then. My old vest is wore out. And when shoulders pulled apart over in Djibouti Africa i had to make do. But that was probably last time I ever wore it. After i patched the shoulders with fatigue on inside.
I also have a hard time throwing out a vest that has seen too may years. Been repaired MANY times and proud of the use, wear, and repairs, some really interesting jobs. I finally could not repair often enough and sought a new one. Found the Filson cruiser discontinued, and the Ben Meadows from forestry suppliers was not close to the quality of my original. After reading of the "Party Chief" by safety apparell on a similar thread hear, I found one on ebay like new. It works well and has features I always wished for like a padded shoulder for carrying the GPS aka "Dancing Lady" all day. I am very satisfied with my Party Chief Safety Apparel vest. Sorry to hear they have changed since then. There is a xl and xxl on ebay new for $35, but I don't know if they are new design or old, no affiliation. Den
What the well dressed surveyor is wearing today
Actually I'm not at sure they aren't the ghosts of ancient surveyors past - check out the worksite detail
I will take a look for sure. I hate buying on internet actually until i can physically feel and look at something in person. But it is the world we live in. Something about a little lesson i was taught years ago as a pre teen. Grandparents took us somewhere all i remember was I could buy something for x dollars I can’t remember the the amount or I could spend same amount and get this surprise bag out of this barrel. Old brown paper bag i use to take to school for lunch size. My grandfather said something about knowing what you get but it was my choice. I went for the surprise. It was junk and some cheap toy that was on the shelf for way less. He said in life you need to learn when and when not to take chances. You just learned when not. I did and to this day it makes me pause when purchasing something on line. Its like every year around this time the kidos circle all the different magazines toys and what not. Last year the youngest wanted something and the wife went to store and looked at it. It was so overwhelming different in the store scale quality. So we didn’t get it but did take the younger one to see what it really was like she was glad santa didn’t bring that.
Early in my career this old timer had a scrap book that he showed me of all sorts of old pictures newspaper clippings of Surveyors. Man i was like they were dressed for success for sure. Can you imagine cutting line or staking in a suite and tie about mid August in the heart of the south. Old wool suites. Would be tough for sure.
I'm sure that all those suits were back in the closet on hangers 5 minutes after that picture was taken. Being photographed was an event back then.
Lol probably so true. Not closets back then. Probably rolled back up and packed away for the next Sunday go to meeting. Closets were not needed like they are now days. Most had work clothe set and a dress set. Not much else was needed. Today we have clothes for every day that ends in Y squared. Lol . We have so much now days. In a pretty wealthy area of Africa I was amazed how much more I had as a non wealthy person here in the USA have vs what they had. Other countries the same. We really are spoiled more than we realize for sure. Hopefully we all don’t take it for granted and continue the hard work and pass it along to the next generations.
Filson still makes the cruiser vest
That stopped providing safety decades ago. Look at ANSI class II safety vests. I don’t have much need for pockets anymore. I used to carry field book, 6 foot ruler, lumbar crayon, metal probe, plumb bob. I carry none of that anymore, they aren’t needed most times.
"That stopped providing safety decades ago. Look at ANSI class II safety vests. "
That solid color vest is perfectly valid for off-road work. The ANSI stuff applies mainly to work in roadways or other places where there are moving vehicles.
"Filson still makes the cruiser vest"
If they still make the orange surveyor's version, they're not very interested in selling it. I wasn't able to find it on their website.
